Sealed hypodermic receptacle and method of making the same



Jan. 17, 1956 E. HENDERSON SEALED HYPODERMIC RECEPTACLE AND METHOD OFMAKING THE SAME Filed May 19, 1954 INVENTOR Edward Heudfrsn/ Y Kw., AKfm ATTORNEYS SEALED HYPGDERMIC RECEPTACLE AND METHGD F MAKING THE SAMEEdward Henderson, Montclair, N. 5.

Application May 19, 1954, Serial No. 430,326

3 Claims. (Cl. 12S-215) This invention relates to an improved sealedhypodermic receptacle and to a method of making the same.

It is desirable to package many pharmaceutical, biological and medicinalpreparations in hypodermic receptacles so that they can be administereddirectly from the hypodermic receptacle Without the necessity of trans--ferring the product from a container in which it is sold to a separatehypodermic unit. lf the hypodermic receptacle in which the product ispackaged is properly sealed, then the product is preserved in sterileform, free from contamination and protected from deterioration byexposure to the air or loss by evaporation. In order to obtain the fullbenelit of this type of packaging, however, it is important that thehypodermic receptacle be sealed in a simple, inexpensive yet electivemanner, which will not complicate or interfere with the subsequent useof the receptacle or with the hypodermic injection of the contents.

It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide animproved hypodermic receptacle and an improved method of makinghypodermic receptacles whereby the receptacle is sealed in a simple,inexpensive yet etective manner, and wherein the seal can be readilyopened or removed when required to permit the contents of the receptacleto be hypodermically dispensed or injected.

In the accompanying drawing- Fig. 1 is a sectional elevational view ofone end of a hypodermic receptacle showing a closure cap or hood applied(but not sealed) over the needle;

Fig. 2 is a similar sectional elevational view showing one form ofapparatus and method of heat sealing the closure cap or hood around theneedle;

Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view in the direction of the arrows on theline 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional elevational view similar to Fig. 2 but showinganother form of apparatus and method for sealing the closure cap or hoodaround the needle;

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional View in the direction of the arrows on theline 5 -5 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 6 is an elevational view of one end of the completed hypodermicreceptacle embodying my invention showing the closure cap or hood heatsealed to the needle;

Fig. 7 is a sectional elevational view of the outer end of thehypodermic receptacle with the closure cap or hood applied thereto inunsealed condition and showing a modiiied type of heat sealingapparatus; and

Fig. 8 is a longitudinal sectional view of the device and apparatusshown in Fig. 7 showing the outer end of the closure cap or hood beingheat sealed to the needle.

My invention is applicable to various types of hypodermic receptaclessuch as ampules or syringes in which pharmaceutical, biological ormedicinal preparations may be packaged, shipped or stored for any periodof time prior to use.

In the accompanying drawing, I have shown my invention as applied to ahypodermic receptacle 10 which, as previously indicated, may be anampule or a syringe. The

arent 0 outer end of the hypodermic receptacle is provided with a needlehub 11 in which the hypodermic needle 12 is mounted. The inner end ofthe needle has communication with the interior of the receptacle so thatthe contents of the receptacle may be dispensed through the needle whichis the usual tubular hypodermic needle having a central bore or lumenand a tapered outer end 13 for insertion through the skin or othertissue.

The receptacle 10 and needle hub 11 may be made of any desired materialssuch as glass, metal or plastic material. However, it should be of acharacter that Will not be adversely affected by the pharmaceutical,biological or medicinal preparation contained therein. The opposite endof the receptacle (not shown) should be sealed in any well-known manner.Thus, if the hypodermic receptacle is an ampule, the opposite end may beclosed by the usual piston type of stopper. lf the receptacleconstitutes a hypodermic syringe, then the opposite end may be providedwith the usual piston and operating mechanism. If desired, of course,the receptacle may be of the collapsible type being made of a soft metalor plastic material, in which event the opposite end is merely sealedand the contents are dispensed by collapsing the tube.

As previously pointed out, the speciic form of receptaele does notconstitute the present invention. My invention simply contemplates thatthe receptacle itself, aside from the hypodermic needle, be sealed.

ln carrying out my invention, I first apply over the needle and theouter end of the hub a closure cap' or sheath-like hood 14 which isformed with an outer portion l5 of smaller diameter closed at its endand encasing but spaced from the needle. The hood also has a ribbedapron portion 16 of larger diameter and preferably tapering in widthwhich engages and tightly embraces the needle hub 1l.

The hood is made of a suitable thermoplastic material which isimpermeable to, and unaffected by, air, water vapor, contaminants, andthe uid preparations contained in the receptacle. For this purpose, Imay use polyethylene, cellulose esters such as cellulose acetate, or oneof the polyvinyl resins.

After the hood is applied to the hypodermic receptacle in the mannershown in Fig. l, l then apply heat and pressure to a portion thereof soas to cause it to form sealing engagement with the needle whereby thecontents will be elrlectively sealed within the receptacle. The heatapplied to the hood should be suicient so that the plastic materialbecomes plastic and will flow under pressure. However, it should not besuch as to liquify the plastic material or cause it to disintegrate.

The hood may be sealed to various portions of the needle and the heatand pressure may be applied in any suitable manner. Thus, as shown inFigs. 2 and 3, a split heated ring formed of two segments i7 havingelectric heating elements therein which may thermestatically controlled(not shown) may be assembled around the hood a short distance beneaththe open end of the needle. rl`he ring is contracted by bringing the twosegments together and the diameter et the ring is then of a size toforce or squeeze the entire circumference of the closure, at a pointslightly below the needle opening, into contact with the needle. Thetemperature oi' the ring is such as to cause the plastic material in thehood to flow inwardly under the heat and pressure into sealingengagement with the needle.

instead of applying the pressure in this fashion, l may apply both theheat and pressure by means of heated air jets, as shown in Figs. 4 and5. ln these figures, l have shown a ring-shaped air nozzle 1? havinginwardly directed jet openings Ztl. The nozzle is suitably conected bymeans of tube 2l to a source of heated air under pressure. Thetemperature of the air is suliicient to render the material in the hoodplastic so that it can flow and the pressure of the air is maintained ata level so as to cause the plastic material to flow when thus heated.The ring is preferably assembled about the hood in the manner shown inFig. 4 at a point slightly below the needle opening and the air supplyis connected so as to cause the air jets to impinge upon the hood in aring shaped band extending completely therearound. Under the action ofthe heat and pressure, the plastic material in the hood is compressed ormolded into sealing engagement with the needle.

When the hood has thus been pressed or molded into sealing engagementwith the needle as shown in Figs. 2 to 5, the heat and pressure areremoved and the thermoplastic material is permitted to set in the fused,sealing position. The completed sealed hypodermic receptacle will thenappear as shown in Fig. 6 with the compressed band 22 extendingcompletely around the hood in seal` ing engagement with the needle.

Instead of sealing the hood into engagement with the periphery of theneedle below the opening, l may seal the outer end of the hood intoengagement with the point of the needle or with the surfaces of theneedle, immediately surrounding the point. This may be accomplished byapplying heat and pressure to the closed outer end of the closure as,for instance, by means of the hood-shaped nozzle 24 with jet openings 25and having suitable connection as by means of a tube 26 to a source ofsupply of heated air under pressure. Nhen the hood-shaped jet is4brought over the closed outer end of the closure 14 in the manner shownin Fig. 8 and the heated air under pressure is caused to flowtherethrough, the material forming the closure will be rendered plasticand will be caused to ow into sealing engagement with the outer end ofthe needle particularly with the surfaces immediately adjacent andsurrounding the point. When the sealing has been accomplished, thehoodshaped nozzle is removed and the plastic material is permitted tocool and set.

In using my improved hypodermic receptacle a receptacle is first lledwith a pharmaceutical, biological or medicinal preparation in the usualmanner after first being suitably cleaned and sterilized. The oppositeend of the receptacle is sealed either prior to or after filling. Thenthe closure 14 is applied thereto, as shown in Figs. 1 and 7 and it iscompressed into sealing engagement with the needle under heat andpressure. When thus sealed the contents of the receptacle are preservedin sterile condition and are eiectively protected from contamination anddeterioration by exposure to the air and loss by evaporation or leakage.The receptacle may be used as a commercial package or it may be usedmerely for storage purposes in hospitals or institutions. When it isdesired to use the device, the closure, even though it is sealed to theneedle, can be readily Withdrawn by forcibly withdrawing it from the endof the assembly. Thereafter, the fluid contents may be hypodermicallyadministered in the usual manner.

It will thus be seen that I have provided an improved hypodermicreceptacle and an improved method of making the same whereby thereceptacle is sealed in a simple, inexpensive yet effective manner andwherein the seal can be broken or readily removed when required topermit the contents to be hypodermically dispensed.

Modications may, of course, be made in the illustrated and describedembodiments of my invention Without departing from the invention as setforth in the accompanying claims.

l claim:

1. A sealed hypodermic receptacle comprising: means providing a chamberfor holding a preparation to be hypodermically dispensed; a hypodermicneedle having a lumen extending therethrough mounted at one end of saidmeans and communicating with said chamber; and a sheath-lilte hood madeof thermoplastic material closed at its outer end disposed over andencasing the outer end and the sides of the needle, said sheath-likehood having a portion in fused sealing engagement with the needle.

2. A hypodermic receptacle as set forth in claim l in which the portionof the sheath-like hood which has sealing engagement with the needle isdisposed in a band extending completely around the needle beneath theopen end thereof.

3. A hypodermic receptacle as set forth in claim l in which the portionof the sheath-like hood having sealing engagement with the needle is theclosed outer end portion which engages the needle adjacent the point ofthe needle.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,434,531 Cyrenuis Nov. 7, 1922 1,782,938 Pletcher Nov. 25, 19302,244,282 Bergstein June 3, 1941 2,423,237 Haslacher July 1, 19472,491,237 Way Dec. 13, 1949 2,578,813 Kollsman Dec. 18, 1951 2,671,449Dann Mar. 9, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 950,588 France Sept. 30, 1949

